Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no Kettô (Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple) (Swords of Doom) Photos

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Cast

Toshiro Mifune
as Musashi Miyamoto

Koji Tsuruta
as Kojiro Sasaki

Kaoru Yachigusa
as Otsu

Yu Fujiki
as Denshichiro Yoshioka

Kuninori Kodo
as Old Priest Nikkan

Michiyo Kogure
as Yoshino

Kuroemon Onoe

Eijirô Tono
as Baiken Shishido

Akihiko Hirata
as Seijuro Yoshioka

Daisuke Katô
as Toji Gion

Mitsuko Mito
as Oko Matahachi's mother

Mariko Okada
as Akemi

Sachio Sakai
as Matahachi Honiden

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Critic Reviews for Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no Kettô (Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple) (Swords of Doom)

Audience Reviews for Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no Kettô (Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple) (Swords of Doom)

• Apr 16, 2016

  Hiroshi Inagaki's 1955 film "Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple" picks up where the last one ended as Musashi leaves the Priest in search of Enlightenment and finding disappointment with the Samurai's lost values. Toshiro Mifune returns, as does many cast members from the first film in the "Samurai Trilogy." The only exception is that Rentaro Mikune is replaced by Sachio Sakai in the role Matahachi. This film isn't as lush or beautiful as the first film but more bleak and cold. The violence is there, but there's also a love triangle involved between Musashi and Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa) and Musashi and Akemi (Mariko Okada). But both women ultimately find out that he has only one love and that's the sword. Mifune's character becomes master of two blades as the real Miyamoto was and the very first scene when he fights a man with a chain and sickle. Once he defeats the man he is told that he is too strong. His personal enlightenment continues through this film.
  

  Joseph B Super Reviewer
• Jul 08, 2011

  Holy shit this was Radical!!! Truly one of the best opening's ever for this genre! Hiroshi Inagaki, director of I'm the Bodyguard, Woman of Shanghai, Samurai 1, 2 &3 bring's us one of the most outstanding of the Samurai ever and the 50s. Awesome plot and acting and great insite to my culture!
  Keiko A Super Reviewer
• Jun 13, 2011

  Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple is an even more fierce and intense look at Miyamoto and his progress to become a master samurai. This is the first film that has Kojiro Sasaki as a young and powerful samurai who both admires Miyamoto but longs to be the best. Amazing battles are peppered throughout the film with the final battle between Seijuro Yoshioka and Miyamoto finally materializing after 80 of Seijuro's men battle Miyamoto alone. We finally see, in his mercy, Miyamoto becoming a true samurai with compassion and control. When he finally gives in and tries to be with Otsu, she denies him for what seems like no reason and in this action Miyamoto swears off all women and continues his travels. The cinematography here and acting as well as the battle sequences make this is a must see samurai film and essential for viewing the Samurai Trilogy as a whole.
  

  Chris B Super Reviewer
• May 26, 2009

  A worthy sequel and a fairly good continuation to the original story as the second part of a famous Samurai trilogy, this film does everything in its power to try to top the original. It certainly didn't, but it deserves a lot of recognition as a good film within the genre. The reasons why I think it didn't top the first part is because whereas the first film focused more on the epic feeling of it, the development of the characters and a certainly wonderful plot, this film had already the advantage of having all of those elements previously elaborated. Fortunately, the whole trilogy was directed by Inagaki, but this time he got rid of the epic feeling of the story and applied it a Kurosawa touch to it, that is, more action-oriented. We even have now a more disciplined and skillful warrior, masterfully interpreted by Toshirô Mifune, than the stubborn and coward one we had before. Although I first thought that the change of filmmaking style and the action-oriented characteristic would ruin this entry, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this is almost as good as the original, let alone the absolutely breathtaking climatic battle sequence... Must be seen to be believed. 84/100
  Edgar C Super Reviewer

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